Greater New Orleans

Louisiana's congressional delegation in search of clout: John Maginnis

Through this last session of Congress, up through the tumultuous election season, Louisiana's delegation in the House of Representatives has been easy to overlook. The six Republicans, out of seven representatives, were junior members of the minority party, four of them with less than three years service.

For the most part, they attracted little political attention in this boiling election year. None were caught up in the tea party drama during the primaries or drew serious opposition in the general election, except in the curious case of Congressman Anh "Joseph" Cao of New Orleans.

They hardly minded missing the hot election action, for they were busy working on improving their status in the year ahead, in anticipation of big Republican gains.

No one in the state's delegation stands to gain more from a GOP takeover of the House than Congressman Charles Boustany of Lafayette, because he is part of the leadership team of Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio, who would likely become speaker.

The two met during Boustany's first campaign in 2004 and he later joined the Education and Workforce Committee that Boehner chaired. When the majority leader position became open in 2006, following the indictment of former leader Tom DeLay of Texas, Boustany was in on Boehner's campaign from the first conference call.

"It was quite a gamble as a freshman member," Boustany recalled, since Boehner, an early opponent of earmarks, was the underdog initially.

Before Republicans lost control of the House in the 2006 elections, Boehner rewarded his protege with a seat on the powerful Ways & Means Committee, which handles taxation, trade and Medicare. Boustany would be in line to chair its subcommittee on oversight.

"As one of John's senior lieutenants, being part of his inner circle would put me in a good position to do good things for Louisiana," Boustany said.

Also benefitting in a Republican majority would be Congressman Rodney Alexander of Quitman, who has been steadily moving up on the House Appropriations Committee. He could get a subcommittee chairmanship and join the ranks of "cardinals" on the spending panel.

While seniority counts above all in the Senate, in the House, money speaks louder. On both sides of the aisle, choice committee assignments go to those who come to the aid of their parties. Leader Boehner assessed each member of the caucus an amount they were expected to kick up to the National Republican Campaign Committee.

That favored the lightly opposed Louisiana Republicans, who, besides Cao, were able to share their wealth of campaign funds with out-of-state colleagues in competitive races.

Boustany gave about $750,000 to the NRCC or directly to candidates. Congressman Bill Cassidy of Baton Rouge gave $290,000 and says he indirectly raised another $290,000 by connecting contributors in his district to needy candidates.

Congressmen John Fleming of Minden and Steve Scalise of Jefferson spread around about $300,000 each. Alexander, representing one of the nation's poorest congressional districts, still gave out $200,000.

That could all add up to a turnaround in the House delegation's clout, which has declined in recent years from the retirements of Billy Tauzin, Jim McCrery and Richard Baker.

Or does it?

Unlike the last times the Republicans or the Democrats came into power, the battle cry of the next Congress will not be, "Razoo!" The spoils system has itself been spoiled by the overindulgence of past victors.

Budget-cutting will be all the rage and pork a four-letter word in the brave new Congress, so say newly elected Republicans and even Democrats on the defensive.

Just as the Louisiana crew begins to rise up from obscurity is a fine time for Washington to go all righteous on us.

The new fervor for fiscal abstinence, however, elicits a fair amount of eye-rolling among veterans of both parties, who know this too shall pass, though they must not act like it.
Alexander, for one, is not ready to abandon the practice of earmarking specific appropriations for state and local governments, for he believes doing so cedes too much control to the executive branch.

Nor will seniority become irrelevant, regardless of the zeal for reform. Despite the turnover of the past decade, the state's prospects for increased influence are good if the current cast holds. The House delegation's senior, Alexander, is only 63, not old in the term-limitless Congress. All that gets old are the claims of how much things will change this time.

John Maginnis is an independent journalist covering Louisiana politics. He can be contacted at www.LaPolitics.com.